Chasing Ghosts
by Irish63116
Summary: Someone from Parker's past comes back to haunt her...
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fanfic in a LONG time and my first one about Leverage. Feedback would be appreciated….be gentle though. LOL!

**CHAPTER ONE**

Parker pulled up in front of her house. Sighing, she put the car in park and turned off the engine. The team had just gotten back from a week long job in Seattle where they had helped a family get their life savings back from a corrupt mortgage company. In the end, she and Eliot had had to "rescue" their other team members.

Pulling the keys out of the ignition, she opened the door and got out. She smiled as she thought about how close the team had gotten over the short time. She was beginning to think of them as friends…..maybe even more like family. She stopped short.

_Where had that idea come from?! _She thought. _Maybe Eliot is right..... Maybe there is something wrong with me. _

Getting her gear out of the trunk, she yawned.

_I can't wait to get something to eat and take a nice long bath. _Parker thought, jogging up the short flight of stairs to her house.

She grabbed her mail and unlocked her door. She walked into the foyer and dropped her bag and mail on the floor. Disarming and then resetting her alarm, she toed off her shoes and left them by the door. Not turning on any lights, she walked through the house into the bathroom and found her favorite bubble bath, pouring some into the tub as the water ran warm. She rummaged through her drawers until she found her pajamas and then found the remote for her TV. Wandering back into the living room to grab her mail, she noticed something different. Reaching for the light by the door, she flipped it on and saw something that made her stomach drop.

_What the….what the hell was that doing there on the couch?! _The voice in her head screamed.

She reached down to pick up the small doll that was laying on her couch.

"Hello there." A voice behind her said roughly.

That was the last thing Parker heard before she hit the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Chasing Ghosts Part 2

The phone rang again for the fifth time. Sophie sighed. She had been calling Parker for the past half hour. They were supposed to be at the office in an hour for their new client meeting. The team had had four days off after their last job. Sophie had done nothing but shopped. Looking down at the new Louis Vuitton purse in the car seat next to her, she smiled. It had cost her $4,000 but it was worth every penny.

Picking up her phone, she dialed Parker's cell number again. It just rang and rang again. She dialed another number.

"Yeah?" A voice said.

"Hardison, have you heard from Parker lately?" She asked, zipping through the next yellow light.

"Nope. I haven't heard from anyone til today. You on your way?"

"Well I was supposed to pick Parker up on my way but she isn't answering her phone. Maybe she forgot and left already." Sophie said, as she rolled her eyes.

"Wait…" Hardison said as Sophie heard him talking to someone in the background.

She sped through a red light and heard cars honking their objections.

"Eliot showed up. He hadn't heard from her either. Hold on. Lemme check something."

She heard him typing something.

"Hmmm. Nothin. No hits on her cell or her cards."

"I'm going to stop by her house. Let me know if she shows up there." Sophie said, a funny feeling creeping up her spine.

Thirty minutes later, the little black Bugatti Veyron pulled up to the little quaint house. Getting out of her car, she looked around the quiet street. Noticing Parker's car in the driveway, Sophie walked up the stairs. Ringing the doorbell, she tried to peek into the house but the curtains were all shut. Trying the door and finding it locked, the knot in her stomach tightens. She tries a few windows and finds them locked also.

_Of course Parker wouldn't leave them unlocked, _she scolded herself. _Maybe the back door…._

She descended the stairs and toward the driveway, looking up at the windows of the house as she walked. At the back gate, she reaches over the small fence and unlocks the latch. Sophie checked the few windows on the back of the house before coming to the back door. Cursing under her breath, she pulled out the small case of lock picks. After a few minutes and many cuss words, the lock finally sprung open. Pushing the door open, she stepped into the small house.

"Parker?" Sophie called out.

She walked through the rooms and turned into the bedroom. Frowning, she reached over and turned the small television set off.

"Parker? Hello?"

Sophie walked into the bathroom and saw the bubble bath.

Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed.

"Hello." Nate answered.

"Nate, something's not right. I'm at Parker's." She continued to walk through the rooms. "Her car is in the driveway but there's no sign of her."

She heard Nate talking to the others.

"Hardison said there weren't any calls to her alarm company over the last few days. No police dispatched to the address." Nate said, listening to Hardison in the background.

She entered the hall. Finding Parker's bag and shoes by the door, she turned to the living room. She gasped.

"Blood, Nate. There's blood on the floor…"

"Go back and sit in the car. We're on the way." Nate said, hanging up.

*******************

"What's going on, boss?" Eliot asked as they waited for the elevator.

"She found blood." Nate said through tight lips.

They piled into Hardison's car and rode in silence to Parker's house. As they pulled up to the curb, Sophie got out of her car.

She was visibly shaken. "Guys…."

Eliot took the steps two at a time and was inside the house first. Hardison walked around the house and came back to Sophie's side.

"The television was on when I came in and she had drawn a bath." Sophie said, quietly.

Nate noticed something poking out from behind the couch. Walking over, he bent down and picked up a small doll.

"What's that?" Eliot asked, reaching out for it.

Hardison pulled out his cell phone and dialed Parker's number. They all looked at each other as they heard the phone ring. Sophie pulled the phone out of black bag on the floor.

"Shit!" Eliot growled.

"What happened to her? How do we find her?" Sophie asked, still looking at the spots of blood on the hardwood floors.

No one answered.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days later….

The small team was gathered around the conference table. They had been living and sleeping in the office since Parker had disappeared. Everyone was on edge and snapping at each other.

"Do we have anything? Anything at all?" Sophie asked, feeling helpless.

Eliot sat and stared at the doll in the center of the table.

"I'm not even sure **where **to start looking." Hardison said, slamming his hands down, making Sophie jump. "Sorry."

She smiled at him, the smile not making it to her eyes.

"Have we looked at everything on Parker before now? Before she met us?" Nate asked, walking into the room with a scotch in his hand.

Hardison nodded. "I checked out every one of her hangouts, her emails, even checked local hospitals and jails to see if anyone had a Jane Doe matching her description."

Sophie put her head in her hands. "So now we're looking for a body?"

"No. Not necessarily." Nate said, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"She's been gone too long without contact." Sophie whispered.

"She could be laying somewhere hurt or not know who she is…."

"Someone has her." Eliot spoke quietly.

Everyone turned to look at the retrieval specialist. He was still staring at the doll.

"Is is someone with a grudge against us? Or against her?" Nate asked to no one particular.

"So we just sit and wait for someone to contact us with info or someone to come and pick us off one by one?!" Hardison spat, getting angry.

Eliot glanced at the hacker.

"Think….any of our last marks have the resources to kidnap?" Nate asked.

"NO! It has somethin to do with this goddamn doll!" Eliot snapped. "Why else would it have been there?"

"It could have been hers." Sophie said, trying to convince herself along with the others.

Eliot shook his head.

"Parker doesn't seem like the type to play with dolls." Hardison pointed out.

Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose. "While we're sittin here talkin bout what we're gonna do, someone has her."

He stood up and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sophie asked, nervously.

"To find her."

*************************

Eliot pulled up in front of Parker's house. He sat in the truck and looked around at the neighborhood. He sighed and got out. Taking the steps two at a time, he pulled out his lock pick kit. A few minutes later, he was inside the small foyer. Looking around, he walked through the house. He went through every room meticulously.

_No pictures, no personal stuff. _He thought, shaking his head.

In the bedroom, he went through her closet and drawers looking for anything that might help him. Finding a suitcase underneath the bed, he pulled it out and laid it on the bed. Opening it, he saw a stuffed animal that had seen better days. Grabbing it with two fingers, he tossed it aside. A single key tied to a green ribbon laid in the bottom of the suitcase. He pocketed it, wondering what it was to.

An hour later, he emerged out of the house. He looked at her car in the driveway. Glancing inside, he noticed nothing amiss.

_Where the hell are you Parker? _He thought. _Please be okay._

*********************************

Hardison looked up as the front door opened. Eliot tossed him a key attached to a green ribbon.

"There's a number on it." He said, nodding toward the key.

"Do you know how many things this could open in this city?!" Hardison yelled at his retreating back.

Eliot walked in his office and slammed the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for ALL of your reviews. For this part, I didn't know how old Parker is supposed to be so I made her about 30. I wrote A LOT this weekend and hope it's still worth reading. Though I will tell you from here on out it gets "heavier". Warning is up. THANKS for reading!!!

Sophie walked into the conference room. Hardison had a pad of paper in front of him and was staring intently at his computer. He didn't hear her walk up behind him.

"What are you working on?" She said.

Hardison jumped and grabbed at his chest.

"Sorry." Sophie smiled, laying her hand on his arm.

She sat down next to him.

"Eliot found this key in Parker's house. I'm tryin to find out what the hell it goes to."

"Any luck?"

Hardison shook his head. "I'm tryin to think…"

"No safe deposit boxes? Nothing in her house?" Sophie asked.

Hardison thought for a minute.

He typed something into the laptop. "Her bank account shows an automatic withdraw every month. I didn't think nothin of it earlier but…."

Sophie watched him, waiting for an answer.

"Chicago Transit Authority."

"The bus station?" Sophie asked, incredulously.

"It can't be that simple." Hardison said to himself.

"This **is **Parker we're talking about." Sophie said, raising an eyebrow.

"Eliot! Nate!" Hardison yelled.

A second later, both men appeared in the doorway.

Hardison held up the key by the string. "Bus station." He grinned.

"Eliot, you and Hardison go." Nate nodded.

"Call when you have something." Sophie yelled after them.

Hardison looked out the window as Eliot drove.

"Do you think she's ok?" Hardison asked, still looking out the window. "I mean, she would'a called, right?"

Eliot didn't answer him and Hardison turned to look at him.

"Yeah, she would've called." Eliot mumbled, his knuckles turning white on the steering wheel.

Hardison nodded, looking back out of the passenger' window again.

They arrived at the bus terminal a few minutes later. Both men jumped out of the truck and walked quickly into the station.

"We're lookin for 252005." Hardison reminded him.

Both men went opposite directions in the old station. Eliot glanced down each row of lockers, looking for the number. Not seeing the locker, he turned and went Hardison's direction. He found the man right as Hardison spotted the locker.

They stood in front of it and Hardison reached inside his pocket for the key.

Inserting it into the lock, he sighed as the lock turned.

Eliot reached inside and finding a small green backpack, he pulled it out.

"Parker. Color coordinated." Hardison snorted. Eliot shook his head.

"Let's go." Eliot said, wanting to get to the truck.

Walking out to the parking lot, both men glanced around, watching for any signs of trouble.

Eliot unlocked the doors and climbed into the vehicle. Opening the backpack, he reached inside. He pulled out stacks of cash and two bags of uncut diamonds.

Hardison whistled.

Cursing, Eliot pulled out his cell phone from his jeans pocket. Dialing a number, he tossed the pack towards Hardison.

"We found it. We're headin back now."

Pulling out of the parking lot, he watched the rearview mirror.

"What in the hell do you think this is about? A little extracurricular activity?" Hardison asked.

"Who knows. Parker, man, PARKER." Eliot growled.

Sophie was waiting by the door when they got back to the office. Hardison handed her the bag. Walking into the small kitchen, the team found Nate. Sophie spilled the contents of the bag on the table.

"My God!" She gasped.

Nate grabbed for the smaller bags, opening them. He sighed, pouring the small stones into his hand.

"There's gotta be a couple million dollars right there." Eliot nodded toward the bags as he leaned against the wall.

"At least." Sophie said, entranced by the stones.

"She's gonna be **pissed** when she finds out we went through her things." Hardison said, pursing his lips.

Eliot shrugged. "So I'll take the blame. I aint scared."

Hardison raised his eyebrows.

"If someone is looking for this…" Sophie started.

"She wouldn't have given it up. If she had, my guess is that they would've had it already." Eliot said to the group.

"Which means that whoever has her is trying to get the information from her." Sophie said, looking at each of the men.

Eliot crossed his arms across his chest. Hardison looked at the loot on the table. Nate stared at Sophie and nodded slowly.

"What do we do now?" She asked, quietly.

"Hardison, see if you can find out the time period that the stones were taken. If there is any insurance claims, any reports of a theft….something."

Hardison stood and walked out of the room.

"Eliot, is there anyone that you can think of that might have information on who were looking for? Anybody that would have hired someone to keep his **or** her hands clean."

Eliot nodded. "I know a couple of people."

"Good. See what you can find out." Nate said.

Eliot left the room.

Sophie looked at Nate. "I can't imagine how scared she is right now."

"We'll find her." He walked over to her and grabbed her hands. "I promise."

****************************

"About fifteen years ago, there was a claim filed with a Wichita insurance company for an undisclosed amount of uncut stones. They were stolen from a briefcase belonging to a visiting South African dignitary. Now he was scheduled to be in town for just two days. It was a big deal and all the local news stations did stories on the guy." Hardison pointed to the flashing pictures on the TV screens.

"Fifteen years ago? Parker would have been what…15..16?" Sophie asked.

"Fourteen." Eliot said, quietly.

"Where was she living then?" Nate asked.

"These people." Hardison nodded to a picture on the monitor. "The Robertson's. Married 10 years. No kids. Lived in Topeka, Kansas."

"So we think Parker pulled this one off? Come on, she was just a kid!" Sophie objected, shaking her head.

A mug shot popped up on the screen.

"No, we know she did. James Robertson was arrested with ONE bag of diamonds and a couple grand in cash three days after." Hardison said.

"So Parker hid the rest? Was she caught too?" Nate asked, his hand stroking his chin.

"No. She disappeared. Sherri Robertson filed a missing persons report but Parker was never found. Shortly after Mr. Robertson was arrested, police received an anonymous tip, raided the home and found other items to convict him with."

"Parker turned him in? What did they charge him with?" Sophie asked, looking at Hardison.

He didn't look up from his computer.

"Let's just say DCF closed the file on the couple. Mrs. Robertson committed suicide about a month later."

The room was silent.

After a few minutes, Hardison cleared his throat and said, "Robertson was released on parole two weeks ago."

Shaking her head, Sophie closed her eyes.

"No addresses on him. Nothing linked to his social security number."

Nate looked at the face on the screen.

"Eliot?"

"None of my contacts have heard anything." Eliot said, not looking at Nate.

Nate looked at his watch. "It's after midnight, people. Let's get some rest and be back here early tomorrow."

"Who's going to sleep now?" Sophie muttered.

They all stood and went their separate ways.


	5. Chapter 5

The phone rang and Eliot groaned. He rolled over and glanced at the clock. 3:45 am!

_Who the hell calls at this hour?_ He thought as he reached for his cell phone.

Flipping it open, he growled "Hello?"

Silence greeted him on the other end.

"Hello?" He snapped.

A strangled sob alerted him and he bolted upright in his bed.

"Parker? Parker, where are you?" He glanced at his phone. UNKNOWN CALLER blinked back at him.

"Eliot. I…" She sighed. "I need you."

"Where are you?" He repeated, already grabbing for his jeans.

"I'm not sure…..I just started running. I had to get away…." He heard her sniffle.

"Okay, look around. Any street signs?" Pulling his boots on and hopping on one foot, Eliot was already at the front door.

"Baxter and Clarkson." The phone went dead.

"Parker…PARKER?! Shit!" He ran out of the house and jumped in his truck. Peeling out of the driveway, he debated on calling the others.

_It could be a trap…..She could be bait for the rest of us. _He pushed down on the gas. _No, she wouldn't lure us. She wouldn't give us up._

He kept glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure he wasn't being followed or make some patrol cop's bonus for the night. He looked down at the speedometer and back up as he ran another red light.

_Fuck Fuck FUCK! _He thought as he silently hoped that he would make the 30 minute drive somewhat faster.

Parker huddled in the dark behind the dumpster in the alley. She was hidden from view across the street from the payphone. She saw car lights reflecting off the grimy windows and she gasped. She curled herself up tighter in the space. She cringed as pain shot through her side. She had known when it happened that the ribs were broken. She had ignored the pain as she had escaped. Now as the adrenaline was wearing off, everything was starting to hurt. She just wanted to sleep for a while. She closed her eyes.

_NO! _Her mind screamed. _You're not safe! Not yet…_

She heard a noise from the other side of the alley. She felt her heart start to pound. A cat screeched somewhere in the darkness.

_Please….hurry Eliot. _

He saw the phone booth on the corner and slammed the truck into park. Leaving it running, he jumped out and scanned the area. Parker was nowhere to be seen. He gritted his teeth and once again spun around, looking for the girl.

She heard the truck before she saw it. It came screeching into the parking lot across the street. She saw him jump out of the truck and she winced as she tried to stand. She managed to step out from the cover of the dumpster.

Eliot saw a figure out of the corner of his eye. He saw the glint of blond hair from the streetlight. He looked around to make sure no one else was lurking. Seeing it was safe, he took off across the street.

"Eliot." She managed before she passed out.

He grabbed her as she started to fall and swept her up in his arms. Taking her back to the truck, he opened the door and slid her inside.

His jaw clenched as he saw the fresh cuts and bruises on her face and her arms. He fastened the seatbelt around her and his fingers brushed back her hair gently. She made a small noise.

"Shhh. You're okay now. I'm going to take you somewhere safe." Eliot said as he closed the door and still glancing around, he walked over to the driver's door. Climbing inside, he looked back down at Parker. Pushing his anger down, he put the truck in drive and drove back toward the city.

Parker felt something soft underneath her. Eyes still closed tightly, she reached down and felt the silky bedspread underneath her. Memories came back to her as her eyes flew open and she glanced around the room. She struggled to sit up and cried out as the pain hit her.

"Parker. Calm down." Her eyes flew to Eliot, who was sitting in the chair beside the bed.

She gasped for air and clutched at her side. She could feel his gaze on her.

"I think a couple of ribs are broken." She said quietly, not looking at him.

He was silent.

"Where are we?" She asked, looking around the shabby room.

"A motel. I didn't want to chance that we were being followed." He said roughly, as he pulled back the curtain to look out.

Wincing, she slid to the side of the bed and tried to stand up. She managed to not fall flat on her face and stood there for a minute to regain her balance.

"You wanna tell me what's going on? What happened to you?" He asked, staring at her.

She bit her lip and shook her head.

"You wanna go to the hospital? Have you checked out?"

She shook her head no again.

He sighed and pushed to his feet. Walking around the bed, he stopped in front of her. She took a step back. Eliot's fist clenched but he stepped back.

"I need to call the others."

"Not right now. Please. First thing in the morning I'll call. Just….not right now. Okay? I just want to get a hot shower and go to sleep"

"Okay. I need to take a look at those cuts."

She looked up at him and he saw the haunted look in her eyes.

"Please, Parker."

"I need to get out of these." She said as she looked down at the filthy clothes.

He nodded and stepped out of the way as she walked past him to the bathroom. Hearing the door close and shower start, he sighed. Grabbing his keys, he walked out of the room to his truck. He reached into the small backseat for his first aid kit and gym bag. He glanced around the parking lot again before walking back into the room. Still hearing the shower, he sat and waited.

Parker pulled off her clothes and grimaced as she tried to unhook her bra. Climbing under the hot spray, she gasped as the water hit her cuts. She stood there for what seemed forever, just letting the hot water wash over her. She shivered despite the heat. Turning off the water, she pulled back the curtain. She froze as she heard a soft knock.

"Parker? There's some clean clothes out here by the door." Eliot said.

She closed her eyes as she listened for anything on the other side of the door. She tied the towel around her and opened the door. She saw the clothes laying on the counter and grabbed them.

Eliot sat by the window, glancing out every few minutes. He heard the door open and then close again. He laid the first aid kit out on the bed. The door opened again and he saw Parker come out. She was wearing his shirt and shorts which swallowed her. Her hair was wet and her skin was flushed pink. He saw the steam rolling out of the bathroom and shook his head gently. He motioned for her to sit on the bed and she crossed the room slowly. Parker sat down gingerly and he walked over and kneeled in front of her. He opened the alcohol swab and dabbed at the cut over her eye.

"Damn!" She hissed.

"Sorry." He said, looking at the bruises covering her arms and most of her legs.

He continued his work silently, noticing her gaze stayed away from his.

"Want me to wrap your ribs?" He stood, picking up the trash on the bed.

He walked over to the small trashcan and when he turned he stopped. She had taken off the shirt and was sitting in her bra. He walked back over to the bed and looked down.

"Fuck, Parker!" His fists once again clenched as he glanced down and the bright red whelps crisscrossing her back and the black and blue bruises around her throat.

"What the hell happened?" He said softly, kneeling in front her.

A single tear ran down her face. He reached out to touch her and then hesitated as she pulled away. He grabbed the gauze and stood up. He walked behind her and gently started wrapping her ribs, trying not to let his fingers brush the whelps.

"I need to get some ice for your back. Take some of the swelling down." He grabbed the ice bucket on the nightstand and started to walk toward the door.

Parker reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Please, don't leave me." She whispered.

He glanced down at his hand in hers.

"I'm just gonna…"

"Please."

He sat the bucket down on the bed and moved to sit next to her. They sat in silence.

"Why don't you try and get some sleep?" Eliot said quietly, standing up and going back to his post by the window.

She slipped her shirt back on and pulled back the covers. She winced as the sheets touched her back. She laid on her side facing away from Eliot as her body shook with sobs. She cried silently.

Eliot watched her shaking and fought the urge to punch something.

_Whoever did this to her would pay! _He thought angrily.

A short time later, her breathing slowed and she slept fitfully. He sat in the dark, occasionally looking out the window for threats. Parker moaned in her sleep and then cried out. He watched her, not knowing what to do. She cried out again and he stood, pulling off his shoes. He pulled the covers back and gently eased himself next to her. He reached out for her, being careful of her back. She was shaking. He pulled her gently to him and she tensed for a minute.

"It's okay, Parker. I'm right here." He whispered in her ear, smoothing back her hair and kissing her temple.

He felt her relax and sigh.

Parker slept soundly that night.


	6. Chapter 6

_The morning sunlight shone in through the curtains. Eliot looked down at the sleeping blond next to him. He sighed. He didn't want to wake her so he moved to the other side of the bed and grabbed his cell phone off of the table. He unlocked the door and walked out onto the breezeway. Dialing a number, he waited._

"_Hey." Hardison answered the office number._

"_I've got Parker."_

"_What?! What happened? How did you find her?" Hardison questioned. _

_Eliot could hear Sophie in the background asking questions._

"_She's safe. I'll fill you in later." Eliot answered._

"_Where are you?" Sophie yelled in the background._

"_Not now. Just in case…" Eliot stated._

"_Gotcha man. Hey….is she okay? I mean…" Hardison started._

"_No." He said, simply. _

_Eliot told them he would be in touch with them and hung up. He walked back into the room and locked the door. _

"_Did you sleep?" He turned to see Parker looking at him. _

"_I'm alright. How about you? Did you?" He asked her, concern etched on his face._

"_I'm alright." She repeated._

_He nodded. _

"_Did you call the others?" She asked._

_He nodded again._

_He crossed to the bed and sat on the edge. Looking at her, he debated on what to say next._

"_We probably need to get going." She said, avoiding his eyes._

"_Parker…"_

"_Eliot, please. Let's just go." Her eyes pleaded with him._

_She pushed back the covers and stood slowly. He saw her grimace as she rose to her full height. He bit back anger and fought the urge to smash something. _

"_You don't have any shoes." He observed. _

_She shook her head. "There on the floor at my house." _

"_You wanna put your clothes back on? Mine don't really fit that well."_

"_No. They're dirty. Leave them."_

_He started to say something, but he thought better of it. He nodded instead._

_Glancing around the room, he found his first aid kit and duffel. Grabbing them, he went to the door._

_She pulled her hair down around her face and saw him looking at her. Biting her lip, she nodded at him. He opened the door and glanced up and down the breezeway. He motioned for her to stay. Walking to the truck, he opened the door and threw his stuff in the back. He looked around once more and walked back to the room. Holding out his hand, he nodded at her. She looked down at his hand and grabbed it. He ushered to the vehicle and helped her inside._

_As he closed the door, she caught sight of herself in the side mirror. She was still looking at herself as he climbed into the driver's seat._

"_I'm going to kill him." She whispered, not looking at him._

"_You'll have to get in line, darlin." Eliot growled._

_As he turned to back out of the parking spot, he glanced down at her. Seeing her in daylight made his stomach clench. His clothes hung on her and did little to cover the now darkened bruises on her arms and legs. Her face was pale except for the black eye and cuts on her forehead. He watched as she continued to look at herself and he shook his head._

"_Where are we going to go?" She asked._

_He pulled out his cell phone and dialed Nate's number. He listened as Nate talked to him and then hung up._

_He waited for the light to turn green and pulled out onto the street. _

"_Nate has us a room at the Ambassador. They are meeting us there." He answered, watching the road in front of them._

"_I can't go in there looking like this." She looked down at her bare feet and baggy clothes._

_He smiled. "We're pickin up Sophie first. She's got some clothes for you."_

_Twenty minutes later, Eliot pulled the truck into a gas station parking lot. Sophie was waiting in her car. When she saw the truck, she went around to the trunk and pulled a bag out. Eliot put the truck into park and got out. _

"_How is she?" Sophie asked, nervously._

"_Not good. Maybe she'll talk to you." Eliot shrugged, walking around to the passenger's side. _

_As he opened the door for Parker, he heard Sophie gasp as she saw her. _

_Parker looked down at her feet as Sophie walked over to her. _

"_Come on, kiddo. Let's go get you changed." _

_Sophie lead her into the ladies' room at the back of the small building._

_Sophie held out the fresh set of clothes to the woman. Turning her back to the other woman, Parker pulled off Eliot's clothes and handed them back to her. Sophie had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out at the raised welts on the younger woman's back. Parker then reached for the shoes and socks. Still avoiding looking at her, Parker slid them on. They emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later and climbed into the truck. Eliot searched for Sophie's eyes in the rearview mirror but found her staring out the back window, tears streaming down her face._

_The truck entered the hotel's parking lot. Eliot parked in the parking deck and walked around to help Parker out. She climbed down and held onto his hand as they walked into the lobby, Sophie following them. Finding the bank of elevators, they stood waiting. As the doors opened, the trio stepped inside and rode up in silence. _

"_It's room 1661." Sophie broke the silence, walking in front of them._

_Stopping at the door, she knocked. _

_Hardison opened the door and ushered them inside. _

"_Let's get you cleaned up, Parker." Sophie nodded toward the bedroom. _

_Nate held out the first aid kit and she grabbed it as they passed him. The men watched them until the door closed._

"_Shit." Hardison mumbled._

_Watching as Eliot crossed the room to look out the window, Nate poured water into a glass and walked over to him. Eliot shook his head and Nate placed it back on the table._

"_Has she told you anything?" He asked the man._

_Eliot stuffed his hands into his jeans pocket. He shook his head._

"_We need to find out…" _

"_Don't ya think I know that?! How the fuck am I supposed to do that?" Eliot yelled, pointing to the closed door. "She's covered in bruises and scared to death. And I'm supposed to ask her to relive that." _

_The shower in the other room turned on and Sophie came out of the bedroom. _

_The group looked at her._

"_She's taking a shower and then I'll…" Sophie started, tears popping up again._

_She sat down on the chair heavily. _

_The room was silent. _

"_My God." Sophie said, shuddering._

_Eliot looked at the woman, anger radiating off of him. Picking up the glass, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall. _

"_Feel better?" Hardison asked._

"_No." Eliot growled._

"_What are we going to do now?" Sophie asked the others._

"_We'll we're going to continue looking for this guy. Meanwhile, Parker is out of that equation." Nate told her._

"_You can't keep her away from this, Nate. She'll need closure." She shot back._

_Sophie stood quickly, noticing the shower had stopped. She quickly went back into the bedroom._

"_She's right. She'll need to see this through." Eliot said, softly. He was standing facing the wall, hands bracing him. He pushed off and turned to face Nate. "As much as we may hate it, she needs to be in this too."_

_Hardison nodded._

"_Fine. But it doesn't mean we have to like it." Nate said, frowning._

_What seemed like an eternity later, Sophie joined them back in the small sitting room. She crossed the room to the small bar and with shaking hands poured herself a drink and downed it in one long sip._

"_She's finally asleep." She told them, her back to the men._

_Hardison looked back down to the laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "There's still nothin on this guy. No credit, no loans, nothin."_

"_He has to surface somewhere." Eliot said._

"_Until we can get a lead on him, we need to keep her safe." Nate said, motioning toward the closed door._

"_And how do you figure we'll do that? We don't know where to even start lookin." Hardison questioned._

"_Distance." Nate said. "If he knew where to find her, he knows about us. Which means, he possibly could be watching us."_

_They nodded their agreement. _

"_We weren't followed here." Eliot told him. "I made sure. I've been watching since I found her last night." _

_Nate nodded. "We need to go."_

_Hardison started packing up his computer as Sophie grabbed her purse. _

"_You're registered here under Mr. Jason Collins,,,,here on business and room is paid for on a company card. He shouldn't find you." _

_Eliot nodded as he walked the others to the door. _

_As Sophie started to walk out the door, he grabbed her arm. _

"_I'll be right there." She told the others who were walking to the elevator. _

"_Did she talk to you?" Eliot asked, looking down at her arm._

_Sophie nodded._

"_What happened?" He questioned, his eyes finding hers._

_She sighed._

"_Take care of her, Eliot." _

_He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Sophie took his hand, squeezing it lightly and turned, closing the door behind her._

_He stood staring at the door for a minute. Crossing the room, he opened the bedroom door to check on Parker. Seeing her sleeping, he closed it gently. He grabbed the television remote and kicked back on the small loveseat. Resting his feet on the coffee table, he turned the small television on and closed his eyes._


	7. Untitled

Sorry! Don't know why it underlined and put it in italic.

Anyway, I'll use this message to say thanks for reading this and THANKS for the reviews that you guys have sent! I appreciate them all!!! Sorry if this is getting too long….it just keeps coming to me…..


	8. Chapter 7

Someone was after Parker. She knew she had to get away. He was coming back for her. She looked around for somewhere to hide, finding herself back in the her old bed.

_Where was Sherri? Had she locked her bedroom door?_

She heard the door open and footsteps coming toward the bed. She held her breath, hoping by not breathing she would fool him into not seeing her. She could feel his eyes on her. She stifled a scream as she felt the covers being pulled back. "Hello there, angel."

She closed her eyes tight, as she felt the mattress sag with his weight.

Suddenly she was running. _Where am I? _

She had to get away. He would find her and….this time she wasn't sure she would be able to be strong. He was surprised when she fought him back. She wasn't a kid anymore.

He had wanted to know where his money was! She had waited for an opportunity to escape and when he had finished beating her that last time, she had pretended to pass out. He hadn't tied her back up.

_Stupid drunk!_

Parker woke slowly. It took a minute for her to remember where she was. She sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed. Her ribs ached and it still took her breath away if she accidentally moved too fast. Her back was starting to feel better and some of the swelling had started to subside. She stood and went to the door. It was dark in the room and she found the knob. Turning it, she opened it softly. Light from the television flooded into the room. She smiled as she saw Eliot asleep on the loveseat, his body twisted.

Pulling the blanket from the bed, she crept forward and gently covered him.

He awoke with a start.

"Sorry." She said, sheepishly.

He stretched. "What time is it?" He asked, groggily.

"1:30." She answered, looking around. "Where are the others?"

"They left around seven."

She nodded. "Why don't you take the bed? You looked uncomfortable."

"Nah, I'm fine." He pulled himself up as she sat down next to him.

"You hungry? We could order some room service."

She shook her head. "Are they coming back?"

It took him a second to switch gears.

"No. We're laying low for a while."

"Why?" She looked at him, curious.

He thought about how to answer that.

"Cause Nate wants to make sure no one follows them."She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "I don't believe you."

"We're trying to make sure you're safe. Keep that asshole from you."She didn't answer him but pulled her feet up and laid down, resting her head on his leg. It surprised Eliot but he reached down and gently brushed the hair off of her face.

She sighed and turned her head to look up at him. "What's on TV?"

He shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. Why don't we order a pizza or something? You need to eat something." He urged again."I'm not hungry."

"When was the last time you ate?" He said, looking down at her.

She shrugged. "The other day. What day is it?"

"Thursday."

She looked at him, sharply. "We got back last Thursday?"

He nodded as he saw where she was going with this.

"I was gone for a week?" She said so softly that Eliot had to lean forward to hear her. "A week. How did I lose a whole week?" Her voice full of confusion.

He reached down and patted her shoulder, leaving his hand to rest there. He felt her shudder and her breath catch. They sat in silence with the TV on, lighting the dark room.

"He won't hurt you again. I promise you that." He said, quietly.

"Thank you. Thank you for coming to get me."

It struck him as odd that she would apologize.

"You don't have to thank me, Parker."

"You could have not come.""I would never do that."

She sighed.

"That's why I called you. I knew if I could be strong enough just to get out of there that you would find me."

That statement made his heart hurt a little.

"All I had to do was wait. Wait for him to mess up." She continued, her voice sounding far away.

He sat there, his hand playing with her hair, occasionally brushing it behind her ear.

His cell phone rang and he reached for it, careful not to dump her on the floor.

"Hello?" Eliot answered.

Parker felt him tense as he listened.

"When was this?"

She looked up at him questioningly as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You're sure? Okay."

"What's going on?" Parker asked, as she struggled to sit up.

"He was at your house about an hour ago. Hardison set up cameras and caught him. He tossed your place looking for something." Eliot said, watching her.

She avoided his eyes.

"What are we doing now?"

"Nate said to wait here until he calls." Eliot relayed.

"He'll go to the office." She said, quietly.

"Huh?"

"He didn't find anything at the house, he'll go to the office. If he knew where I lived, he knows where I work."

He nodded in agreement.

She stood up and walked toward the bedroom, turning on the light.

"Wait. Where are you goin?"

"To get my shoes.""Why?" He asked, standing himself.

"I'm going to the office." She called from the other room.

"No you're not."

She came out of the bedroom, grabbing her jacket. She winced as she slipped it on. She turned off the light and grabbed his keys.

"Parker." She turned to look at him.

"You're not goin anywhere." He walked toward her, stepping in front of her path to the door.

"Yes. I **need** to do this. I **need** to find him."

He shook his head. "You're in no condition to do anything. Just stay here and we'll talk about this."

"You don't understand…"He watched her, her wall starting to crumble.

"You can't know…you don't know what it was like….waiting for him…" She was pacing the small room now, her arms crossed over her middle.

She looked at him and walked toward him. He stood his ground. She tried to go around him and he moved to block her path.

"Eliot, please." She begged, shakily.

"No."

She tried to go around him again, this time moving to push him out of her way.

He didn't budge and she tried again. He didn't want to hurt her but there was no way she was in any shape to confront the bastard. She stopped, tears pooling in her eyes. Turning, she walked back into the bedroom and closed the door.

Eliot hated himself. He had heard her choking sobs after she had closed the door. He sat on the couch, doing nothing.

_Damn it! _He thought angrily.

He got up and walked over to the bedroom, not hearing anything.

He knocked softly. "Parker?" He called.

Opening the door, he saw her on the bed, moonlight illuminating the room. He heard her breathing deeply. He closed the door gently and walked toward the other bathroom.

Parker waited until she heard his footsteps receding. She sat up, swinging her legs off the bed and went to the door. She opened it a crack and peeked out. No sign of Eliot. She jumped as she heard a door close. She opened the door a little further, easing into the small sitting room. The door to the other bathroom was closed and she heard the shower. Grabbing the keys off of the coffee table, she grabbed her jacket.

_Sorry, Eliot but I have to do this. _She thought, closing the door behind her.


	9. Chapter 8

(You guys didn't really think he was going to fall for that, did you? I wrote this part that same night and have been working on the next. I haven't updated in almost a week and I didn't want to leave you hanging. Thanks again for all of the reviews!! I appreciate you!)

*******************************

The doors to the elevator opened and Parker walked into the lobby. Locating the parking garage, she walked toward the door. She clicked the small remote and heard the alarm chirp. Walking toward the sound, she saw Eliot's truck. She unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver's seat. She was just about to put the keys in the ignition when the passenger's door opened. 

"What are you…..?"

Eliot climbed in beside her. "You didn't think I was that stupid, did you.?" He said, looking at her smugly.

"If you think you're going to talk me out of it…."Eliot held up his hands. "You're bound and determined and won't listen to me. Who am I to stop you?"

She looked at him and nodded.

"But I'm going with you." He said, folding his arms.

She was going to object but decided against it. Nodding again, she put the truck in reverse and pulled out of the garage.

The gray truck pulled up in front of the office a few minutes later. Parker pulled the keys out of the ignition and hesitated.

Eliot glanced at her before he opened his door and got out. He walked up to the front door of the building and waited for her to get out.

After a minute or two, she stepped down and closed the door. 

"You sure?" He asked her, concern on his face.

She nodded and reached for the door, her hand shaking. Hoping he hadn't noticed it, she rushed inside.

"What are you gonna do if he's up there?" Eliot asked, stepping into the elevator.

"I don't know….I hadn't thought that far ahead." She admitted.

"What?"

She shrugged.

"Parker!" He rolled his eyes.

The elevator opened and they stepped off. Walking to the office door, Eliot stepped in front of Parker and opened it. 

He held his finger to his lips and she nodded. Walking around the office, the tension in his shoulders eased. At the last door, he sighed. 

"He's not here and doesn't look like he has been."

Parker saw the green backpack laying on the conference table. 

"What the hell?" She grabbed it and held it up for Eliot to see.

"Yeah…about that…"

"You went through my things?" 

Eliot shrugged. "Had to.""**All** my things?" Parker blushed.

"Not that there was much to go through." He mumbled.

"So now what?" She ignored him.

"Well, considering it's 2:53 in the morning, I say we go back to the hotel and get some rest." Eliot said, yawning.

Parker shook her head. "He could've gone back to my house. Or…""Parker…" Eliot started, then stopped. 

She saw him tense again and watched as he turned toward the sound. 

"Eliot's right, Parker. You need to rest before you **fall** down." Nate said, walking in the door.

Eliot relaxed as he saw the rest of the team walk into the conference room. 

"I guess I could tell you the same thing." Nate said, looking at Eliot. 

"I'm fine." He assured the man.

Hardison sat down in front of his computer and started typing. Sophie watched as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Still no activity on the house." Hardison told the others. 

"Where in the hell is this guy?" Sophie asked out loud.

Nate sat down heavily. 

"Where are the diamonds?" Parker asked, sitting down next to Sophie.

"In the safe." Nate motioned toward the wall.

"Use them….and me as bait"

"Hell no!" Hardison objected.

"Absolutely not." Sophie chimed in.

"Listen, it's the diamonds he wants….""And what are you? Icing on the cake?" Eliot said, angrily.

Parker shot him a look.

"Eliot…" Sophie began.

"That's crazy! Someone tell her that's crazy!" Hardison said to the others.

"This is my decision!" Parker argued.

Voices overlapped each other and Nate rubbed his temple.

"Guys…Guys! Come on." Nate said, tiredly. 

He waited until he had everyone's attention. "Okay, guys. Parker, do you remember anything about where you were kept? 

She shook her head. "I ran for a while."

"I picked her up about 30 minutes from town. Baxter and Clarkson." Eliot said.

"Isn't that mostly abandoned buildings?" Sophie asked.

"This wasn't like that. It was like a cellar. Low ceilings….chains from the ceilings." Parker said, quietly. 

"Maybe a meat packing plant." Nate said, thinking out loud.

Hardison's fingers flew over the keyboard. "There are two possible places that are within 3 miles of that intersection. Here and here." He said, pointing to the map.

Nate stood. "Hardison, you're with me. Eliot, take the other address."

Sophie looked at him. "What about us?"

"You…stay here with Parker. Lock the doors and set the alarm. Don't let anyone in." 

Sophie nodded.

"Alright guys. Let's go." 

Parker watched as Sophie followed them to the door. She locked the front door and turned back to the conference room. 

Sophie walked back to the chair opposite Parker and sat down.


	10. Untitled 2

Thanks again to all my reviewers! I appreciate your feedback. The next chapter gets heavy again….with the story of Parker's childhood and what happened while she is gone. It's not graphic….I'll let you use your imagination. Thanks again. SORRY it took me so long to put up.


	11. Chapter 9

***************************

Nate and Hardison pulled up to the curb. They sat in the car for a minute.

"You ready?" Nate asked the man.

Hardison nodded and took a deep breath. "What are we gonna do if we find Robertson?"

Nate glanced over at him, pushed open the door and got out of the car.

"That's not an answer." Hardison said, getting out.

Nate shrugged. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

They walked carefully into the building.

**************************

Eliot looked around the warehouse. He heard Nate and Hardison in his ear.

"I hope I find him first." Eliot growled.

"Eliot…."Nate warned.

Eliot walked around the smaller building. He stopped, listening for any movement.

"No one has been here for a while." He said, finishing his search. "Any luck there?"

"Nope." Hardison said.

"We heading to the next address?" Eliot asked.

"Yep, meet us there." Hardison answered.

Eliot walked out and got into the car.

**************************

Sophie sat the cup of hot chocolate down in front of Parker. She studied the other woman.

"You're looking better." She reassured her.

"I'm fine." Parker said, not convincing herself. She took a long sip of the drink.

Sophie shook her head and reached out to touch Parker's arm.

"You're not fine."

Parker looked at her. "I'm just tired."

"Why don't you go lay down in Nate's office? Come on." Sophie led her into the office and she pulled the throw off of the back of the leather couch.

"Lay down and try to get some rest. I'll be right here."

Parker nodded and gingerly laid down. Sophie covered her and slowly eased out of the room, keeping the door open a crack.

"She said she's fine. You don't believe her?" Sophie jumped as Nate's voice spoke in her ear.

"No, no I don't. Did you find anything?"

"We're pulling up to the last location now. No sign that Robertson had Parker at either place."

Sophie sighed and walked back into the small kitchen to put the cups in the sink.

******************************

Two hours later, they returned to the office.

"Nothing." Nate told Sophie as she let them in.

"Where is she?" Eliot asked, looking for Parker.

"Sleeping in Nate's office." Sophie said, quietly.

Eliot nodded, taking a seat in the conference room.

"No." A voice said from behind them and they all turned to see Parker standing there. "I can't sleep."

She walked over and Hardison hurried over to pull a chair out for her.

"What did you find?" She asked.

"Nothing." Nate repeated to her.

Hardison left the room and returned with a small box. He put it on the table in front of her. Parker looked up at him questionably and turned her attention back to the box. Lifting the lid, she saw the stacks of money and two small bags which she recognized were the diamonds. As she was reaching for them, she caught sight of a brightly colored object underneath the bags. She felt her heart start to pound and knew immediately what it was. Pushing the box away from her as if it were on fire, she started shaking.

"Parker?" Hardison looked alarmed.

"What is it?" Sophie asked, coming around the table to her side.

Parker started hyperventilating and pushed away from the table. Sophie reached out for her and Parker rushed past the other woman. Running into the bathroom, she slammed the door and threw up.

"What the hell…" Hardison asked, concerned.

Sophie walked into the hall and heard Parker getting sick. "Nate…." She started.

Eliot walked past her, stopping at the bathroom door. He knocked and then tried harder when he didn't get an answer.

"Go….away…" Parker called out.

"I'm not going anywhere." Eliot said to the closed door.

"I'm fine. Just please….go away."

"Damn it, you're not fine."

"Eliot….."

"I'm not leaving until you open the door. I mean it."

The small team stood a few feet outside of the bathroom door. Concern and worried looks were shadowing their faces. They heard rustling from the other side of the door and a few seconds later, a pale Parker appeared.

Her arms hugging her tightly, she emerged from the small bathroom.

"Parker." Sophie looked at the blond. "We can't just ignore that. Talk to us….please." Sophie begged.

Hardison disappeared as the team walked into the conference room. Nate sat down next to Parker and looked at her.

"Let us try to help." He said, softly.

Hardison returned with a bottle of water, opened it and handed it to Parker. She took a long sip before putting it on the table. Parker avoided their eyes and took a deep breath.

"I don't know where to start."

"Wherever you want." Sophie said, sitting in the opposite chair.

Nate glanced at Sophie and then back at Parker who was looking and the box in the center of the table.

She shuddered and took a deep breath. "When I was ten, I was sent to live with James and Sherri Robertson. They couldn't have kids of their own and I guess it put a strain on their marriage." Parker shrugged. "They were so nice to me and after my third month I started to relax. I was going to the same school and making friends for the first time."

Sitting across the table, Hardison nodded in understanding.

"James was in computer sales and Sherri worked for a cleaning company. We had dinner together every night and took trips to the zoo…..you know, family stuff." Parker paused, looking embarrassed.

Hardison smiled at her, knowing what she meant.

Sophie reached over and squeezed her hand gently.

"Then James lost his job and he started to drink." Parker looked at Nate, who avoided her gaze. "He started staying out until really late or not coming home at all. He was so angry all the time. We walked around on eggshells when he was home, afraid to set him off. Sherri was working longer hours to stay out of the house. He threw things and would break stuff. He wasn't the same person. Anyway, he met up with two guys out on parole for armed robbery. They started with small jobs, a house here, a restaurant there, a gas station. Then they got brave and started hitting banks. A few years went by and his habits got worse. One of the guys started talking about some hotshot that was coming to town…how he was supposed to be some rich guy with connections. They found out his plans, his schedule and decided to rip him off. A few days after the job, James was arrested." Parker finished.

"Where do you fit in?" Nate asked, not sure he wanted to know.

"The police got a tip that he was one of the guys involved." Parker shrugged. "It was me."

"Why?" Hardison asked, quietly.

"I was tired. Tired of lying, of wondering what kind of mood he would be in, if he was going to beat Sherri to death, of wondering if he was going to drink himself to death." She pulled her knees up slowly, grimacing slightly at the movement and hugged them.

Sophie looked at the men and then back at the blond who was now biting her lip.

"What happened then?"

"Nothing. James went to prison and Sherri killed herself."

"Why?"

"She couldn't live with out him?" Parker shrugged again.

"No, Parker. I don't think so." Sophie challenged.

Parker shot her a dark look. "You don't know." She hissed.

"Parker…"

As the four of them watched, the blond started to shut down. It wasn't anything that they could put their finger on precisely. Her demeanor changed and she began trembling.

"Sherri started making me dolls after about my sixth month with them. She was so good and they were so pretty. Some had party dresses on and some had plain dresses. I was afraid to touch them because I hadn't ever had anything that nice. Sherri used to try to play with me, to get me to play dolls with her but I was always scared that I would ruin them. I never took them off the shelf in my room. I just used to sit and stare at them, amazed. My other foster parents never bought me anything that nice…much less made anything for me. I prayed every night that I could stay with them, that this would be my family….forever." Her voice was monotone and quiet.

The others were afraid to breathe in fear that they would miss a single word. Eliot had abandoned his usual position of leaning on the wall to take a chair by Nate.

"One night they had a fight when he came home drunk. I was so scared….all that yelling…I hid in my room. The house got quiet. I went to bed without dinner because I was afraid to get something from the kitchen. I guess I fell asleep."

Parker started rocking back and forth in her chair. Her face was devoid of all emotion. "I don't know why I woke up but he was sitting on my bed in the dark. I asked him what was wrong. He told me that he didn't love her…that he hadn't for a while."

Eliot closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Sophie looked at Nate as if pleading him to stop the story…where they all knew it was heading.

"He asked me if I liked living with them…..if I wanted to go back into the system."

Eliot stood now, his chair almost falling backwards. He began pacing the room, his arms across his chest. Hardison leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling.

"I told him that I was scared when he acted like that. He said he was sorry and that he would do better. He said that I had been sent to them cause they couldn't have kids….that I was special. He kissed me and whispered in my ear that I was his angel."

Sophie had tears in her eyes.

Parker continued, "He pulled me closer, took my hand in his lap and started to rub himself. I told him that I was tired and wanted to go to sleep. I was scared and knew that it was wrong. He told me that it was okay, that he loved me. He said that he wanted to stay with me until I fell asleep again. He told me to lay down and tucked me in with one of those dolls. He said it would be our secret and that Sherri would be mad and make me leave if I told on him. He sat there all night. I didn't go to sleep that night." Parker paused. "It was a long time before he came back into my room again. I thought it was just a one time thing since he was drunk and sad. A couple of months later, he came into my room when Sherri was at work and brought with him a new doll that Sherri was working on. He told me if I was good that I could have the doll. He climbed in bed with me and started touching me. He wasn't drunk that night."

Sophie stifled a cry and left the room. Nate went after her.

"Soph?"

Sophie started to sob, her body wracking. Nate held her and caressed her hair. He didn't know what to say. They had all known that it had been bad for Parker growing up. He had hoped that it hadn't been this kind of bad. He sighed against Sophie's hair. She cried against his shoulder and he held her tighter. After her sobs subsided, she pulled back and straightened up. She nodded and they walked back into the room.

Eliot had taken up position behind Parker's chair, his hand resting on the back. Parker looked up at them as they returned. Nate held the chair for Sophie and then kneeled in front of Parker.

"What about the diamonds?"

"I knew where he hid his stash. One night after he………..finished I took some money and the diamonds and ran. I turned him in the next day. I stuck to the streets and started stealing after that."

Nate looked at the others and saw the hatred and fury on their faces.

"How did he find you again?" Hardison asked quietly.

Parker shrugged. "He was inside my house when I got there. I don't know where he was hiding…." Parker closed her eyes, remembering. "He came up behind me and surprised me. I don't remember him taking me anywhere but I woke up in some room, my hands and feet tied. He started asking me where his money and diamonds were. He didn't like my answers." Parker smiled, wickedly.

"He told me I would pay for turning him in. So he hit me and kept hitting me. I must have passed out cause I woke up and it was dark. He came back and he started again, asking about his money. He told me he was going to make me tell him, do whatever it took. I told him I was too old for him now and he threw me on the floor. I couldn't get away from him fast enough and he kicked me." Parker said, her eyes focusing on the wall and subconsciously rubbing her side.

Eliot caught Nate's eyes and conveyed certain death to the older man.

"I think that's when I passed out again."

Hardison rested his head in his hands.

"I woke up next to another doll. I don't know what happened." Parker closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Eliot stormed out of the room then. The others could hear the door slam to his office and something breaking.

Nate and Hardison exchanged looks but neither man moved.

"How'd you get away?" Hardison questioned.

"He must've untied me sometime before and he came back. I tried fighting him off and he got mad. He slammed my head against the floor and I pretended to pass out. I waited until he left and then escaped. I ran until I found a payphone."

Parker looked at Hardison as if she had just remembered that he was sitting there. She turned to look at the others as if seeing them for the first time.

Parker got to her feet and left the room.

A few seconds later, they heard the bathroom door close again.


	12. Chapter 10

Hardison walked into the small kitchen, stretching as he went. He had been staring at the computer for hours, trying to find out where Robertson might be laying low. Rubbing his eyes, he grabbed a drink from the fridge and walked around the office. He saw Nate's office door open and he walked toward it. He glanced inside to see Nate with his feet on the coffee table, his head thrown back on the leather couch. Hardison smiled at seeing Sophie curled up under a blanket, her head on a pillow resting on Nate's lap. Hardison tiptoed away from the door, hoping not to wake them. He saw that Eliot's door was still closed. Frowning, he chose to leave him be. He knew how Eliot could get when he was mad.

_Hell__**, **_**I**___wanna kill the fucker_, he swore as he thought of Robertson.

Shaking his head, he walked back into the briefing room where the feedback from the cameras in Parker's house was playing. He had been watching her house for days now, pretty sure he could maneuver around it with his eyes closed.

_Parker? Where was she? _Hardison wondered.

He ventured down the hall and saw the bathroom door still shut. He walked over to it, deciding on whether to knock or leave her alone.

_She's been in there for what_….._three hours_. He looked at his watch.

His decision made, he knocked softly.

"Parker?" He called.

No answer had his heart starting to beat a little faster.

There weren't any windows in there so he knew she had to still be in there. He tried the knob, finding it unlocked. He opened it a little, calling out to the thief again.

"Parker?"

The first thing he saw were her black Converse clad feet. He swung the door open a little further and found her laying on the floor, her legs pulled up against her chest.

"Girl, what a place to fall asleep." He mumbled. He stepped into the bathroom and bent down and scooped her up.

He turned and carried her into the small lobby area. Laying her on the couch, he knelt down in front of her. Watching her, he rested his back against the small coffee table. He wanted to touch her, to hold her and tell her that it would be okay but he didn't know how that would be received. Instead he settled on sitting there, pulling his long legs up and resting his arms on his knees.

Hearing footsteps coming toward them, Hardison looked up to see a mussed Eliot. Hardison held up a finger to his lips, pointing to Parker and Eliot nodded.

"How long?" Eliot whispered.

Hardison shrugged. "I found her asleep on the bathroom floor."

Eliot shook his head and sat down on the chair.

"You feel better?" Hardison asked, taking in Eliot's appearance.

"I'm gonna need some new office supplies." Eliot whispered back, not taking his eyes off of sleeping Parker.

Hardison grinned at the man and rubbed his face with his hand.

Eliot leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest.

Both men continued to watch Parker, each in their own thoughts.

Hardison yawned.

"Why don't you go try to get some sleep?" Eliot whispered.

Hardison shook his head. "Nah. I'm alright."

They sat in silence.

The office was silent. Eliot opened his eyes, seeing Hardison resting his head in his arms. He looked over at Parker who hadn't moved. He closed his eyes again, continuing to listen to their breaths.

Someone screaming caused Eliot's eyes to fly open. He jumped to his feet, ready for some unseen attack and saw Parker thrashing on the couch, Hardison sprawled on the floor, rubbing his jaw. Eliot bent over, grabbing Parker's flailing fists in his hand.

"Parker. Parker! Wake up." Hardison said, getting to his knees.

Parker's eyes opened and instantly cleared.

"You okay, darlin?" Eliot asked, letting her wrists go.

"You had a bad dream." Hardison explained.

They exchanged a look as they noticed her shaking. Hardison slowly got to his feet and sat down next to her. He pulled the blanket around her shoulders and glanced at Eliot as she flinched.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Hardison asked.

Parker shook her head, wrapping the blanket around her tighter. She noticed her hands were shaking and she pulled them inside the blanket.

Hardison leaned back into the couch and looked at Eliot, who mirrored his concern.

"Stop." Parker said, softly.

"What?"

"Stop looking at each other like you're expecting me to break." She looked at them each.

"We're…."Parker shook her head and leaned back, her head resting on Hardison's arm.

An alarm went off somewhere close. Hardison went running to the conference room.

"What is that?" Eliot said, following him.

A cell phone started to ring on the table.

Parker saw it was hers and she reached to pick it up.

"Hello." She answered and listened.

Eliot looked between his two team members, not knowing what was going on.

"What's going on in here?" Nate asked, coming into the room.

Hardison's fingers were flying over the keyboard and suddenly Parker's living room popped into view on the big screen in front of them all. A man stood in the middle of the room on the phone.

"Is that…" Sophie started, appearing in the doorway.

"He's in her house." Eliot growled.

"When?" Parker asked the caller, turning her back to them.

She snapped the phone shut and slowly turned around.

"Was that him?" Nate asked angrily.

Parker nodded.

Sophie rushed to her side. "What did he say?"

"He wants to meet. In an hour.""No way!" Eliot said, anger making him tense up.

"Hell no." Hardison said.

"Where?" Nate asked, avoiding the men now glaring at him.

"You can't be…"

"The park….across from the police station."

"He knows he's gonna get his ass kicked." Hardison said darkly.

Nate looked at the clock over the door.

"That's right in the middle of the shift change. Lots of people around."

Parker nodded.

"Alright. Let's go." He said, glancing over at the others.

Parker stood where she was.

"Parker? Are you sure about this?" Sophie said softly.

Parker nodded hesitatively.

Nate grabbed the bag containing the diamonds and money and walked back to his office. Eliot and Hardison followed.

"Yes?" Nate said, not turning around to see who was standing there.

"You can't be serious." Hardison objected.

"Oh…I'm serious alright." Nate said, turning around.

"But what about the cops." Eliot questioned.

"Plan H." Nate said, walking past them.

Eliot and Hardison exchanged looks and shrugged.

"Let's go."

The team left the office.


	13. Chapter 11

A/N: Sorry it took me forever to update. Life got in the way.

Eliot pulled up to the curb and turned off the truck. He turned in his seat to look at Parker, who was staring out the window. He reached over and touched her arm.

"It's almost over." He assured her quietly.

She nodded but didn't look at him.

Eliot looked up to see Nate and Hardison pull into the small parking lot. Sophie was already in place.

"Everyone hear me?" Nate asked in their ears.

Parker heard the team check in and sighed, reaching for the door with a shaky hand.

Eliot watched and stopped her with his hand on her arm. He motioned for her to pull out her earbud. She did and looked at him.

"He won't hurt you again." Eliot said softly. "I promise you that."

Parker saw the deadly look in his eyes and knew he meant it. She bit her lip and nodded slowly, putting her earbud back in.

Eliot watched her open the door and get out. He followed.

Nate sat on a bench by the small pond, pretending to read a newspaper and sip his coffee.

"Everyone in place?"

"Yep." Hardison replied from the car.

"Ready." Eliot said.

Nate glanced to where Eliot was fishing. He saw the hitter nod slightly and Nate turned away.

"Sophie?"

"I'm here." She answered.

"Parker?"

Silence greeted him.

"Parker?" Nate whirled around to scan the park, coming to rest on the lone figure standing by a tree. He saw her frozen, her arms at her sides.

"Nate……" Nate heard Hardison start.

"It's okay. I've got her." Nate stopped him. He followed Parker's eyes, tensing as he saw what she was looking at.

A man with a baseball hat had entered the park. He was dressed in jeans and a bulky jacket. He continued walking to Parker.

"He's here." Nate said angrily.

Eliot growled.

"Eliot, don't you dare." Nate warned.

The man came to a stop about ten feet in front of Parker. Nate continued to watch.

"Parker?" He said softly, still seeing her frozen.

"Nate, she can't do this." Hardison said, his hand on the door handle.

"No. Parker? You can do this. You hear me?" Nate tried to get through to her.

The man who Nate assumed was Robertson approached Parker. Nate heard static crackle in his ear. Parker stood rooted to her spot as he took a step closer.

"Hello angel." A rough voice came over the comms.

The team heard a growl emitted.

Parker felt her blood run cold as he stepped closer. She swallowed the lump that she felt growing in her throat. She heard the others in her ear.

"Parker. You. Can. Do. This." Nate encouraged, trying to disguise the concern.

She knew she needed to move, to snap out of it but her feet remained frozen.

"Focus, Parker." She heard Eliot's drawl.

She blinked.

Robertson reached out to touch her face and Parker sidestepped.

"Don't." She said, barely audible.

"Come on, angel."

Parker fought the urge to shudder. "Don't call me that."

He smiled at her, slowly looking her up and down.

"Where's my diamonds?" He sneered.

"I don't have them."

"What?!" Robertson snarled at her, taking a step toward her.

"Nate…." Eliot started, already dropping his fishing pole.

"Stay where you are, guys." Nate warned.

"What's going on?" Sophie said quietly.

"They're about to head your way." Nate said, still watching from his position.

"What do you mean you don't have them? Where the hell are they?"

Parker looked toward the police station.

"In there." She nodded in that direction.

Robertson followed her eyes.

"In the station? Are you crazy?!" Robertson set his jaw.

She could see his face contorting with anger. The child in her wanted to shrink back but she knew that she had to finish this.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side. Parker felt the distinct feel of the gun pushing into side.

"Let's go get my diamonds then." He whispered angrily into her ear.


	14. Chapter 12

A/N: SORRY it took so long….**AGAIN! **I hope to have the next chapter finished and story completed tomorrow…..Thanks for reading /reviewing this, guys. Special thanks to whimseyrhodes for being addicted with me. LOL!

Parker glanced around the street as they started to cross. She went over the plan in her head. Seeing people sitting on the steps enjoying their lunch, she debated whether or not she was going to get sick. She felt Robertson yank her back to reality.

"Over there." He nodded toward the alleyway next to the precinct.

Parker looked around the dark alley, watching police cars leaving a few feet away.

"Don't even think about, _Parker." _Robertson sneered, pushing her against the wall and pinning her across the shoulders with his forearm.

"We're going in and getting the diamonds. You try anything…_anything_ at all, I won't hesitate to kill you."

"The hell you will." A voice growled from behind them.

Robertson turned, his arm still digging Parker into the wall. He glared at the long haired man that stood behind him.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked, surprised at the newcomer.

"Let her go." Eliot snarled.

"Eliot…..damn it!" He heard Nate curse in his ear.

Eliot reached up and pulled the comm out of his ear, pocketing it. "I said….Let. Her. Go."

"Who the fuck are you?" Robertson repeated, his grip loosening a little.

"A friend."

Parker managed to slide out from under his forearm and stepped aside.

"She doesn't have friends. She's too fucking crazy to….."

A sly smile spread slowly over his face as Robertson watched the man.

"Ah. I see." He said smugly, running his tongue over his teeth. "She would be your bitch."

Eliot started forward and Robertson clicked the safely off. "Uh-uh." He aimed at the hitter. "I wouldn't if I were you."

Eliot's fists clenched at his side, his eyes going dark.

"Okay. So, we're switching this up a little." Robertson turned to Parker, still aiming the gun at Eliot. "You're going to go get the diamonds. I'll keep your…_friend _company out here."

Parker hesitated, looking over at Eliot.

"Go on, Parker. I'll be fine." Eliot assured her, not taking his eyes off of the gun.

"Yeah, go on _angel_." Robertson smiled. "Hurry back now."

Parker walked to the end of the alley, turning to glance back at the two men again and then disappeared.

"Nate? He has Eliot."

"Damn fool." Nate snapped, watching Parker walk toward the front of the building. "Okay. Parker, go ahead according to the plan."

"But…"

"Go, Parker. Now."

Nate glanced over to where Hardison was still in position. "Sophie, change of plans. Robertson has Eliot. Here's what we're going to do."

Eliot watched as Robertson's eyes once again slid toward the beginning of the alley. He knew that Nate would probably be pissed off that he had taken his comm out but the mastermind would get over it after a few days. Eliot's priority was Parker right now, Parker and the asshole that had hurt her.. who was standing in front of him now.

"You get your diamonds. You leave her alone." Eliot said, his tone low and dangerous.

Robertson turned his attention to the man again and regarded him for a second. He tilted his head, looking the man over.

"This isn't any of your business."

"The hell it ain't." Eliot hissed.

"Yeah." He sneered at the hitter. "In a ….._friendly_…type of way, huh?"

Eliot felt his blood boil.

"Tell me." Robertson's eyes danced. "How _is_ my angel?"

Eliot growled.

"I taught her every thing she know, you know." He grinned wickedly. "I've had every inch of her, right down to the heart shaped birthmark on her inside of her thigh…"

A gunshot rang out, the police station suddenly jumping to life. Parker's eyes went wide.

"_What the hell…."_

"_Where was that?"_

"_We've got a shooter!"_

"_It came from outside!"_

Voices spilling over each other as uniformed officers went running out the double doors. Parker ran toward the entrance, filing out the doors along with the drone of people. She felt someone grab her arm and she gasping, yanking it back. She turned to see Sophie behind her, face pale with worry.

"What….." Sophie started, grabbing for Parker's hand.

"Eliot." She said, shaking out of the grifter's grasp again, running toward the alley_. _


	15. Chapter 13

Parker tried to push the sea of blue out of the way, trying to see what was happening. She caught glimpse of a boot_….Eliot's boot …_and pushed harder. Keeping her eyes on the unmoving boot, she managed to break free of the crowd.

"Eliot."

She heard a voice behind her and immediately recognized it as Hardison's without looking.

The boot was attached to an unmoving leg and then Parker saw the rest of Eliot. He was laying in a growing pool of blood.

"No…." She whispered.

Feeling a hand on her arm, she turned to see Hardison and Nate standing behind her. Nate glanced down at her, his eyes relaying concern for their fallen teammate.

"Let them do their job, Parker."

"_Need a bus at the 47__th__." _

"_Got a GSW here." _

"_There's another victim here." _

Hearing those words, she turned back to the alley and saw their new revelation. Robertson was pulled out from beside the dumpster, beaten, bloodied.

"_I've got the weapon over here." _

"_That's the shooter_."

Her eyes were diverted back to Eliot as she saw the boot move. She started forward but was held firm by two hands on her now.

"Let me go." Parker hissed.

"No." Nate said simply as his hand tightened on her shoulder.

The crowd parted as EMTs ran toward the fallen bodies, skidding to a stop in front of them. Parker heard medical jargon and saw wrappers for equipment thrown around, hitting the alley floor. She watched them work on her teammate with baited breath and cold palms.

Across the small alley, she saw the EMTs haul Robertson onto a gurney. Turning back to Eliot's still form, she heard the paramedics shouting, voices mingling with each other off of the brick walls.

"_He's going into cardiac arrest." _

"_BP's low and thready_."

"_He's crashing!" _

"_Need some help here." _

Parker reached up to Nate's hand still tense on her shoulder. Grabbing it, she squeezed it hard. Nate looked down at her and saw her lips moving in a silent plea.

"_We lost him." _

"_Call it." _

"_Time of death is_….."

"NO!" Parker heard herself scream, her knees buckling.

Hardison reached out and grabbed her, holding her up. She turned into him, hands fisting in his shirt. Time stopped, voices grew quiet. Parker sobbed against the hacker's chest, his arms tight around her.

_Her fault….this was her fault that Eliot had gotten shot…._She thought angrily.

Parker felt movement around her, heard people talking far off. Squeezing her eyes shut, she realized that she didn't care anymore.

"Parker?" A disembodied voice said her name and she felt a hand on her back.

Pulling herself into Hardison more, she shook her head.

"Parker." The voice said more insistently. "Darlin, look at me."

Gasping, her eyes flew open. She turned to see Eliot standing in front of her, his shoulder bandaged.

"You…..you're alive." Hardly believing her eyes, Parker reached out to touch him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Eliot drawled, grabbing her hand and pulling her into him.

"But…."

Eliot heard the confusion in her voice and turned slightly so she could see the men in the alley. Parker saw the EMTs covering Robertson with a sheet and she shuddered a little. She felt Eliot's arms tighten around her back, his chin resting on top of her head.

"He's gone, Parker." Eliot told her quietly. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"Sir?" A young woman stood next to the two. "Sorry, but we're going to need your statement."

Parker felt Eliot nod against her head.

"I'll be back." He pulled away from her, lifting her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "Stay with the others, okay."

Parker realized that Sophie and Nate were standing a few feet behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, steering her over to them and looked up to see Hardison.

"Come on, Parker." He smiled gently down at her, his arm across her shoulders.

As they neared the others, Sophie stepped forward and pulled her into a gentle embrace.

"Are you okay?" She asked, worry tinting her voice.

Parker nodded.

The team turned and walked back towards the park where their cars were parked. Parker ignored their small talk, her eyes watching for the hitter's appearance. She was rewarded a few minutes later when Eliot emerged out of the building and scanned the area looking for them. Spotting them over by the cars, he looked both ways and crossed the street, walking slowly toward them.

"Everything okay?" Nate asked, nodding toward his shoulder.

"Yeah. Just a scratch." Eliot replied.

"Scratch, huh?" Hardison shook his head at the hitter.

"Are we done here?" Nate asked.

"Gave my statement. If they need me, they'll call." Eliot shrugged.

"Are you sure you don't need a doctor to take a look at that?" Sophie asked, concern on her face.

"Nah. It's fine. Paramedics said it was just a graze and stitched it. I can take care of it from home."

Nate shook his head. "Let's go home then."

Parker watched the three walk off toward their cars before she turned to Eliot.

"I can ride with them….""No." Eliot said, opening the door to his truck.

"But…."

"Parker, do you want to?"

Parker shook her head.

"Then get in, darlin." He said, helping her into the truck with his good arm. Eliot made his way around the truck to the driver's door. He watched the others pull out of the parking lot and then opened the door. Climbing in, he winced as he jarred his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Eliot looked over at the blonde in the passenger's seat. He took in her worried appearance, her lip clenched in between her teeth. Reaching out, he cupped her face with his hand., his fingers removing the forgotten comm from her ear. He pocketed it, joining his.

"I'm fine." He searched her eyes. "You?"

"I'm fine, too."

"He's gone, Parker." Eliot said softly. "It's over."

Parker nodded. "He shot you." She whispered, her eyes going to his shoulder.

"Yeah. Just a graze though."

"It's my fa…" Parker started.

Eliot stopped her with a finger to her lips. "Don't you say it. It ain't your fault."

Parker nodded, staring out the windshield.

Eliot stared at her for few minutes, then turned back in his seat and started the truck. Pulling out onto the road, he glanced at her a few times as he drove. She remained quiet, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"I'm sorry you had to kill him." Parker said, breaking the silence. "I know you hate killing."

Eliot was quiet a few seconds longer. He eased the truck off onto the shoulder and put it in park. He looked over at her, seeing her eyes on the horizon in front of them.

"The minute he touched you, he was already dead."

Parker broke her gaze, looking over at the hitter.

"I'm just sorry that I wasn't there sooner." He said quietly. "If I had…"

It was Parker's turn to stop him, her lips brushing his gently.

"You were there when I needed you." She whispered, leaning back into her seat.

Eliot found himself momentarily stunned by the kiss. His gaze slipped to her lips and then back to her eyes. A spark danced dimly behind the clouds in them and Eliot smiled at that.

"What are you smiling for?" Parker asked, her head tilted a little, watching him.

"Nothin, darlin. Nothin." He said, putting the truck in gear and pulling back onto the road. "Let's go home."

His smile widened as she snuggled closer to him, her hand in his.

**A/N: FINISHED!…..I might be working on a sequel…..lol**


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